Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked audition tapes are going viral

6 December 2024, 18:31 | Updated: 6 December 2024, 18:37

By Katie Louise Smith

Cynthia's Elphaba audition tape and Ariana Grande's Glinda audition tape were aired in a documentary about the movie and now they're going viral.

Dying to see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked audition tapes? Fellow Ozians, today is your lucky day because the clips have just resurfaced and they're now going viral.

Despite the fact that it seems like the duo were born to play Elphaba and Glinda on screen, their road to landing those coveted roles was much tougher than you think. (In Ariana's case, she had to audition three times before director Jon M. Chu decided she was the right person to play Glinda.)

Back in 2021, Wicked auditions took place with countless stage and screen stars vying for the roles. Originally, Jon wanted unknown actresses to front the film because he believed Wicked a "big enough property on its own"... Until he realised how difficult the songs were and that he probably needed professionals.

Enter Cynthia and Ariana. Now, footage of the auditions that ultimately won Jon over are doing the rounds on social media.

• Read more: Every actress who auditioned for Elphaba in the Wicked movie
• Read more: Every actress who auditioned for Glinda in the Wicked movie

In the viral clip, from Peacock's Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, Cynthia can be seen singing 'Defying Gravity' while Ariana is shown performing 'Popular'.

Cynthia auditioned without her trademark earrings, nose piercing and bold statement nails, donning a simple white tee and jeans while using her cardigan as a cape. Clutching a green plastic broom, she can be seen belting out Idina Menzel's OG 'Defying Gravity' battle cry with absolute vocal precision.

Ariana's audition happened so long ago, she still has brown hair in the clip! Ari dyed her hair blonde specifically for the role, but, prior to that, director Jon M. Chu also revealed that he asked her to audition without her signature Ariana Grande ponytail or cat-eye make up.

Responding to the clips on TikTok, one fan wrote: "Cynthia with the broom and blanket singing defying gravity she’s just like me fr".

"Ari was so locked in it’s so cute haha," another added, while someone else said: "Imagine being in line to audition and you look over and see Ariana Grande right before your turn."

Speaking about Cynthia's audition, Jon M. Chu revealed that she was actually brought in way late in the process.

"She came in in jeans and T-shirt, and usually I see her in long dresses and long nails and she's so iconic," he told an audience at an event. "This time, she came in and she was like a student sitting here."

"And when she sang '[The] Wizard and I', it was heartbreaking to see it, actually. She felt like me in my dorm room dreaming about being a filmmaker. To me, that was such a connection," he continued. "And words that I had heard over and over again in 'Defying Gravity meant something different when it came out of her mouth. I don't know what she was channeling – I mean, I do now, but at that point I didn't know.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, Cynthia revealed that she had a "three-hour, sing-all-the-songs audition", including performances of 'The Wizard and I', 'For Good' and 'Defying Gravity'. In the clip from the Peacock special, Cynthia also revealed that she was joined by two other actresses in her audition - Ariana was not one of them.

"It was a pretty emotional day. I guess I threw everything into that audition,” she said.

As for Ariana as Glinda? Jon has admitted that he didn't initially see the star in the role at first, but she turned out to be the "most interesting" person who auditioned for the character.

Speaking on The Love of Cinema podcast, the director said: “I was like, ‘There’s no way she’s prepared for this. This is a huge movie [...] The moment she auditioned, she was the most interesting person in that room,” he said. “But I didn’t believe it, so I brought her in again. And she was the most interesting person— I did not believe it.”

Ariana was made to audition three times before Jon realised she was the right person for the role. "She proved herself over and over and over again, to a place where she was living [as] Glinda," he added. "When she showed up on set, she was Glinda. I didn’t have to direct her; I was just like, ‘Here’s a chair, jump over it,’ and she would jump over like Glinda."

When Ariana first auditioned, she actually sang for both roles – performing 'No One Mourns the Wicked', 'Popular', 'The Wizard and I' and 'Defying Gravity'.

She told Teen Vogue: "So I had, in my first audition, a ponytail and a cat eye and it's a very branded, familiar thing. So I needed to disappear into this role. And I think when someone is, you know, branded one way as a certain caricaturised version of themselves already, it's hard to trust that they'll be able to disappear into a story."

Ariana was so serious about the role, she ended up dying her hair blonde, ditching the ponytail and went to voice and acting lessons every day.

Read more about Wicked here:

• Wicked Part 2: Release date, cast, plot spoilers, songs and news about the sequel
• Is Dorothy in Wicked? Director reveals how she will be included in Part 2
• Who is playing Dorothy in Wicked Part 2? The Alisha Weir rumours explained
• Wicked's Marissa Bode explains how they've changed problematic Nessarose scene in Part 2
• Wicked's Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum reveal Part 2 will include new original songs

WATCH: Wicked cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'

Wicked Cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'

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